People Who Live In The Spirit Find Life And Peace

by Eric Elkin

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ”

— Romans 8:1

"There is therefore now no condemnation…" The words jumped out at me as soon as I read them. I literally stopped reading the passage from Romans after this first sentence. Where is this place of no condemnation? And, is it accepting visitors? Because the daily grind of people condemning each other is starting to wear me out. I find it is beginning to claim my Spirit and my sense of hope.

It is naive to think there has ever been a time of complete unity in our nation's history. Perhaps the closest we have ever come to true unity are those days following a national tragedy, like the 9/11 terrorist attack or the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. Yet, I cannot remember a time where our condemnation of each other has been so pervasive.

Each day a new video emerges, revealing the depth of our anger for our neighbor. Yesterday it was a video of three men threatening to lynch, a black man they claimed trespassed on their property. The men become irate with "liberals" getting in the way of their freedom.

Another video showed a woman attempting to paint over Black Lives Matter lettering on a city street. Watching the video, I was disheartened by the childish arguing between two adults. This video clip is one incident. Yet, every time I go shopping, I feel the tension between these opposing views. The division reminds me of Abraham Lincoln proclaiming, "a house divide cannot stand." So, where can we go where there is no condemnation?

“The least of things with a meaning is worth more in life than the greatest of things without it.”

— Carl Jung

Movies provide one form of escape from the world. So, Peggy and I started watching the Amazon Prime Original Series, Catastrophe. The show helps us laugh. The story is about an Irish woman and an American man who becomes a couple after an unexpected pregnancy following a weeklong fling. The writing is smart and funny. The laughter provides us relief from the world's issues.

In the show, the couple discusses whether to have the baby baptized. Rob, the boyfriend, points out that they will have to reject the devil and all the devil's empty promises. "If I thought you believed any of that shit," he said, "I would totally support it." His words hit me hard. Maybe rejecting the devil is more than a punchline or a fairytale. Perhaps our hope rests in this specific act.

If I had not have stopped reading Romans 8 after the first line, I would have discovered an invitation to live differently. Those people who set their minds on flesh experience death, but those who choose the Spirit find life and peace. Could hope be as simple as setting your mind on something like the Spirit?

There is a multitude of ways to set your mind on the Spirit. Try looking beyond what is right in front of your eyes without losing sight of your life. Life is bigger than the threats to our unity. Yet, life, your friends, and your enemy's life is the most precious gift in the universe. People who live in the Spirit treat each other as precious gifts. This is how they find life and peace. Now, I just need to remember to live this way.

Click to read Romans 8: 1-11